US And Israel Were Behind Stuxnet Claims Researcher

[Purveyor]

Israel and the United States created the Stuxnet worm to sabotage Iran's nuclear programme, a leading security expert has claimed.

Ralph Langner told a conference in California that the malicious software was designed to cripple systems that could help build an Iranian bomb.

Mr Langner was one of the first researchers to show how Stuxnet could take control of industrial equipment.

It is widely believed that its target was machinery used to enrich uranium.

Speaking at the TED conference in Long Beach, California, Mr Langner said: "My opinion is that Mossad is involved."

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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12633240

[Warren DeMontague]

1. Well, duh.

Seems like, according to some reports, it set back the Iranian nuclear program several years, all without harming any humans.

Good job.

[Arctic Dave]

2. It hasn't hurt anyone....yet.

Just wait until it is released onto US facilities. Something like this doesn't disappear after its used.

Don't e surprised if industrial facilityies start having unexpected operational problems. The same componemts they were use for their nuke program are the same ones we use for ours. Plus our refineries, power gen, manufacturing, etc.

[Warren DeMontague]

5. Then they owe us an apology

or nothing at all.

[Ohio Joe]

12. It has been found in US facilities

and those of other countries.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stuxnet

See affected countries.

That is the problem with releaseing such things, once you do there is no control.

[hulka38]

3. When these tactics are used against us

or Israel I'm pretty sure the response will be to harm some humans.

[Warren DeMontague]

4. What are the options regarding the Iranian nuclear program?

On one end, you have "do nothing", on the other, you have military strikes. This seems to me, to be a reasonable middle course of action, and a rather bright way to go about it, too.

Oh, I know some people LOVE to piss and moan endlessly whereas Israel is concerned. But, this was a successful and relatively non-violent OP by any yardstick, and (in my mind) preferable to a military action and/or war.

[wuushew]

6. I don't see the advantage of delaying the unavoidable

other than it wastes human and finanical resources in the here and now. Are you hoping to delay a nuclearized Middle East until they are depleted of energy wealth and are too broke to proceed?

What is your risk/reward calculus? If nuclear powers are not to be tolerated should not we be preparing for war in Pakistan and North Korea?

[Warren DeMontague]

7. Straw Man. One, Pakistan is already a nuclear power, as is North Korea.

Secondly, again, your argument seems to be that doing anything is the same as taking the worst case action, i.e. war. Risk/Reward calculus? Very little risk, here, high reward that has been clearly (Iranian propaganda notwithstanding) successful.

I also don't accept that an Iranian bomb is "inevitable".

What significant "human and financial resources" did this action waste? Really? Because I suspect that the amount of human and financial resources involved (i.e. creating a piece of malware) were pretty fucking meager-- about equivalent, I would say, to the amount of energy it takes for the people who will complain about anything and everything Israel does to write a series of grousy posts on the internet.

But, I didn't do it, I'm not in charge of it, I couldn't stop it even if I wanted to. You want to complain about it, bring it up with Mossad. All I'm doing is expressing a modicum of admiration from the sidelines.

[hulka38]

8. The attack seemed to have

a good outcome in setting the program back. But make no mistake, this was an attack. It sets a precedent, furthers hostility and undermines potential diplomatic solutions to the issue.
I don't believe Iran will inevitably make a nuke. If it does, the idea that Iran will suicidally launch a nuclear attack on Israel once it has a nuke is another in a long series of propaganda efforts concerning Israel and the ME. It will be used for deterrence. The world would be better off if Iran didn't have a nuke. I don't want Iran to make a nuke. But the idea that Iran is going to blow Israel off the map is bullshit as are most of their other talking points directed at Americans. So on one end you have attack Iran, on the other you have "do nothing' and in the middle you have diplomacy. But in order for diplomacy to work you have to want it to work. I believe Israel's constant taking of land that doesn't belong to it is a greater barrier to peace than Iran developing a nuke.

[Warren DeMontague]

9. If diplomatic solutions were working, those centrifuges wouldnt have been running in the first place

Israel's diplomacy with Iran doesn't have anything to do with anyone "taking" land that "doesn't belong to it". Most Arab states- and that includes ones sympathetic to the Palestinians- don't want Iran to have a bomb.

Funny, how everything that even remotely has to do with Israel becomes Israel's fault for a never-ending laundry list of crimes and misdeeds, no doubt starting with existing in the first place.

[Ohio Joe]

13. These tactics have been being used against us... for a long time

http://www.information-age.com/channels/security-and-continuity/news/1302203/china-has-been-hacking-us-since-2002.thtml

I am unaware of us responding by hurting anyone.

[Behind the Aegis]

10. Does he offer any proof or just his opinion?

[Violet_Crumble]

11. He says in the OP that it's his opinion. Keep in mind he's a security expert n/t